familia nuclear
/familja nukleaɾ/from spelling rulesfeminine
The English phrase "nuclear family" is translated into Spanish as familia nuclear.
The term familia nuclear refers to a family unit consisting of a father, mother and children.
Meaning: a family unit consisting of a father, mother and children (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun familia is feminine, so when using the definite article "the", you use la familia nuclear. To express the plural "nuclear families", both the noun and the adjective must be pluralized to form familias nucleares.
Did you know?
- The word familia is believed to have roots in the Latin word for a 'slave staff' or 'household servants'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the concept of the familia extendida remains much more central to daily life and social support than in the US or UK.
- While familia nuclear is a direct translation, many sociologists in Spain and Latin America prefer the term familia biparental to describe this specific structure.
Examples in context
- Para mi proyecto de historia, decidí investigar sobre la familia nuclear tradicional en mi país.For my history project, I decided to research the traditional nuclear family in my country.
- La convivencia familiar en el núcleo familiar es fundamental para el desarrollo de los hijos.Family coexistence within the nuclear family is fundamental for the development of children.
- La familia nuclear es la base de la sociedad.The nuclear family is the basis of society.
- La familia nuclear es muy pequeña.The nuclear family is very small.
- Hoy estudiaremos el concepto de familia nuclear.Today we will study the concept of the nuclear family.
Example conversation
Two sociology students are discussing a textbook in a library.
- MateoMaría, ¿entiendes la definición de familia nuclear?María, do you understand the definition of nuclear family?
- MaríaSí, Mateo, es un concepto muy sencillo.Yes, Mateo, it is a very simple concept.
- Mateo¿Crees que la familia nuclear ha cambiado?Do you think the nuclear family has changed?
- MaríaDefinitivamente, la estructura social es distinta ahora.Definitely, the social structure is different now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nuclear family” translations and entries familia nuclear, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries familia, nuclear, CC BY-SA 4.0.
